Page 3496 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013
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MR BARR: You are seriously kidding, Madam Speaker. You are suggesting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Barr. When I make a ruling I am not seriously kidding. I asked you to withdraw. Ms Lawder took a point of order. She took exception to the comment that you made that she, amongst other people, does not care about people who are disadvantaged. It is quite clear that Ms Lawder’s previous career would indicate that it is otherwise. She took exception to it and I would ask you to withdraw.
MR BARR: Madam Speaker, I wish to move dissent from your ruling.
Mr Rattenbury: Mr Barr, before you do so, might I have the floor?
MADAM SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order?
Mr Rattenbury: Yes. On the point of order, Madam Speaker, I would seek your clarification. If I think about yesterday’s debate on Uriarra, numerous assertions were made by colleagues on that side of the chamber that members on this side of the chamber, including myself, did not care about the residents of Uriarra. I feel that that is an equivalent imputation and I find your ruling surprising in the history of the Assembly.
Mr Coe: On the point of order, if Mr Rattenbury or another member of this place yesterday did take offence then they should have stood up and raised it as a point of order. But the fact is a member on this side who has a distinguished history when it comes to helping vulnerable people did take offence to this.
Ms Gallagher interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: It does not help, Ms Gallagher, if you interrupt while we are dealing with this.
Mr Coe: She raised a point of order and therefore you made a ruling. There is always going to be subjectivity as to whether somebody takes offence. However, if Mr Rattenbury or any of the other nine members in the government wished to say they took offence yesterday, they had the opportunity to do so.
Mr Rattenbury: On the point of order, following Mr Coe’s comment. If I take offence every time Mr Hanson or his colleagues say something rude about me we are going to have very slow progress in the Assembly. I think that is going to be very challenging. Members, I think, should be realistic about the fact that there is a level of cut and thrust in this place. If we are going to set this standard, I think it is going to be very difficult for the operation of the chamber.
MADAM SPEAKER: I think that we have canvassed the issue substantially. I did not hear the words because I was having a discussion with the Clerk, I think. I missed the words. I will undertake to review the tape and, in the context, have a look at that. I do take on board that Ms Lawder has taken exception to this. Honestly, I did not hear
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